Fantastic Four #610Review

Of all the lingering plot threads left from Jonathan Hickman’s expansive run on Fantastic Four, I’ve most wanted to see this conclusion to Bentley’s storyline, which all started back when he was taken from the Wizard almost 40 issues ago. For a book all about family, Bently strikes a sad note because instead of having parents and siblings, he was grown from the DNA of a madman. His story comes with all the makings of a tragic and thoughtful story, only Hickman seems to focus on anything but the dramatic plight of Bently 23.

A.I.M. has a new status quo, which brings Reed Richards and company to their new island nation. The issue feels top heavy with lots of development put into A.I.M., their new lead scientist, and the insanity of the Wizard, leaving little time for the truly dramatic material. Hickman tries to make it a fun ride, but the action feels like it’s stalling for time instead of driving the story forward. Still, it’s always fun watching him build new and interesting concepts in the Marvel Universe, and he doesn’t disappoint in that regard.

Ryan Stegman’s art always makes me smile with its vibrant energy and creative panel layouts, but his style might not be the best fit for this particular story. Hickman’s script often banks on nuances in the characters’ “performances” and parsing down the action so it looks unglamorous compared to the dramatic turns of the story, and that’s why the measured artwork of Neil Edwards, Barry Kitson and Steve Epting made this series such a knockout time and time again. This issue shows Johnny lit up like the Fourth of July, breaking out of the panel borders as he blazes towards the reader.

Joshua is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter or IGN, but only if you are prepared to hear more about Darth Maul, Green Lantern, and Doop than you would ever care to know.